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Dakota was constantly by Conrad’s side in Congress, leading some to affectionately refer to him as the 101st senator. Conrad announced in January 2011 that he would not run for reelection in 2012, opting to retire. He served two decades in Congress before being replaced by Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp after she defeated Republican Rep. Rick Berg last year.

“He was such a jaunty, confident and happy little dog,” Conrad said. “And he was cute — he just put a smile on people’s faces. And so that’s how I’ll remember him.”